Bailroad-tie



W. BURCH.

RAILROAD TIE. APPLlcATIoN man SEPT. 2, 1919.

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a0/Wei@ 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented June 29, 1920.

w. BURCH.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 2. 1,919.

Patented June 29, 1920.

. 2 SHEETS-#SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIE BURLCI-I, 0F LOWELL, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD T0 ALMEDA. MARLEYAND ONE-THIRD T0 FRANK HALPIN, BOTH 0F GRAND RAPIDS,

MICHIGAN.

RAILROAD-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1920.

Application ledseptember 2, 1919. Serial No. 321,210.

useful Improvements in Railroad-Ties, of,

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad ties and has special reference to the means for anchoring the tie against movement and securing the track rail in position upon the tie. The invention is illustrated iii the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully described, the novel featuresbeing subsequently pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the drawingsj v Figure 1 is a plan view of a port-ion ofv a railroad track showing the use of my ini-V proved tie;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on they line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the baseor support for the tie in elevation and showing the track rail in transverse section;

. Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view of one of the rail-securing clamps showing the parts thereof in position to permit the application of the clampy to the tie;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the support for the tie, the tie bar and the rail engaging clamps being omitted; c

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail section of the base plate;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of said plate;

Fig. 9 is a sectionon the line 9-9 of Fig. 1. j

In carrying out my invention, I provide a foundation or supportl of concrete which may be of any desired form but will preferably be circular in plan view inasmuch as an economy of material will bek thereby effected without detracting from the strength of the device. One of these concrete bases or blocks is disposed at each side of the track bed and in the upper portion of the said base or anchoring body is embedded a base plate having its central por-y tion U-shaped in cross-section, as kshown at n 2, and having its upper portion in the form of wings 8 extending outwardly from the upper edges of the respective sides of the central U-shaped portion. The wings 3 will be disposedflush with the upper surface of the concrete body 1 and in the said wings at opposite sides of the transverse center thereof, I form depressions or recesses 4:. Upon reference more particularly to Fig. 5, it will be noted that one recess 4 at each side ofthe central member 2 of the base plate is approximately square while the other recess on the same side of the base plate is elongated, the recesses being so arranged that a square recess and an elongated recess will be disposed at each end of the base plate but onopposite sides of the central portion 2 thereof. The purpose of `these recesses will presently appear. Upon the upper side of each wing 3 of the base plate at the center thereof, I secure a connecting plate 5 which projects laterally beyond the concrete body or anchor l and rigidly secured to said projecting ends of the connecting plates 5 are the outturned flanges or extremities 6 of an anchor plate l which extends through the body 1 below the portion 2 of the base plate and at right angles to the said plate. The central portion ofthe anchor plate 7 is embedded in the body 1, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6, and this central portion is connected with the terminals 6 by upwardly inclined intermediate portions 8 which fit closely toy the sides of the anchoring body 1, as clearly shown. lThe tie bar'9 is T-shaped in crosssection, `as yshown most clearly in Figs. 6 and 9, the stem of the T fitting snugly within the U-shaped portion 2 of the base plate and the head of the T resting upon the said base plate with its edges projecting over the recesses it in the wings of said plate. The track rail 10 extends across the head of the T-shaped tie bar 9 and rests upon the same and upon the connecting plates 5 which have their upper surfaces flush with the upper surface of the tie bar, as clearly shownin Fig. 6. To secure the track rail in position, I employ the clamps 11 one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 4. These clamps are' identical in construction and each consists of a base member 12 which is a block or plate carrying at one edge a lug or toothBl which has'its under surface 14 beveled to conform to the base flange of the track rail so that when the clamp isin posiconstituting an undercut hook to engage around the edge of the tie bar 9 and lit Within a recess l in the base plate, as shown in F ig. 9. The lip 6 is at a distance belov.7 the top or body of the member 12 equal to the thickness of the head of the T-shaped tie bar so that it Will effect a snug engagement with the edge of the tie bar and thereby aid in preventing dislocation of the parts. The rib l5 extends at a right angle to the longitudinal dimension of' the member 12 and the inner end of said member is disposed obliquely relative to the longitudinal dimension of the member and along the said edge is an upstanding rib 17. The clamp also comprises a locking member 13 which is in the 'form of a block having a depending` rib 1S and a lip 19 projecting inwardly therefrom corresponding` in all respects to the lip 16 and rib 17, respectively, and adapted to engage an edge of the tie bar and lit Within a recess in the base plate. The inner side or end of the locking block is disposed obliquely or out of parallelism with the outer end or edge of the block and is constructed with a groove 2O in its under side to engage the rib 17, the outer wall or' said groove providing a depending tongue 21 Which rests upon the upper surface of the member 12. An' opening 22 is formed transversely through the locking block 13 and a similar opening is formed in the inner end of the base mem` ber 12 orn the clamp, these openings being adapted to receive a locking pin 211 whereby relative movement of the members of the clamp Will be prevented and release of the track rail thereby obviated.

After the track rails have been laid across the tie bar and upon the connecting plates 5, as slioivn and previously described, the members-of the respective clamps are separated and the base member 12 of a clamp is brought into position parallel with the side of the track rail and its lip 16 engaged in the smaller recess 4 and under the edge of the tie bar, the lug or tooth 31 extending over and bearing upon the base flange of the track rail, as shown and as will be readily understood. By reference to Fig. 1, it Will be noted that the inner relatively oblique end of the clamping member will be so disposed that the longer side of the base member Will be more remote from the track. T hc locking member of the clamp is then engaged around the edge of the tie bar and in the longer recess 1 of the base plate beyond the base member of the clamp, after Which the locking member is slid along the tie bar toward the track rail so that the groove 2O Will engage and ride over the rib 17 and the relatively inclined or oblique disposition of the said groove and the rib Will effect a' Wedging binding action between the two members oi the clamp so that the said members Will be caused to move transversely of the tie bar and lirmly engage the edges of the same. After the two members of the clamp have been moved home, as shown in Fig. 1, the pin 24. is driven through the opening 22 into the socket or opening 23 to hold the members of the clamp in their set positions. Separation of the members will be thereby prevented and the track rail will be firmly held in Jlace.

It Will be readily noted that I have provideda railroad tie and track fastening device Which Will dispense With bolts and nuts Which are apt to Work loose and permit separation of the parts and consequently spreading of the track. I have illustrated bolts 25 inserted through the projecting ends of the base plate and the stem of the T-shaped tie bar but these bolts may be so disposed that their ends Will be embedded in the concrete anchor 1 and endWise movement of the parts thereby effectually prevented. Instead of bolts and nuts, straight pins may be employed as.

is obvious. To prevent disintegration of the anchoring body 1 in the event that cracks should form therein, I embody in the body a reinforcing ring 26 'below the anchor plates 7 as shown. The rails are held upon the tie in my invention by very simple means and if it should be necessary to substitute a neW rail for a Worn rail the members of the clamp may be readily separated to permit removal of the rail and then as easily returned to the initial position to secure the new rail in place. The laying of a track or the repairing of the same is consequently facilitated and the cost of building and upkeep is minimized.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. In a railroad track, the combination of an anchor of plastic material, a base plate embedded in the said anchor, an anchoring plate embedded in the anchor and having its ends projecting beyond the same, connecting plates secured to the said projecting ends of the anchoring plate and to the base plate, a tie bar seated in the base plate, clamping members engaging the edges of the tie bar and supported by the same and having interlocking engagement over the tie bar, and means on some of the clamping members to engage the base flanges of a track rail to hold the same to the tie bar.

2. In a track structure, the combination of a plastic anchor, a base plate embedded in said anchor and provided in its upper side with a plurality of recesses, a tie bar seated in said base plate longitudinally of the same and extending between pairs of said recesses With its edges overlapping the inner portions of the recesses, a track rail extending across the tie bar between the recesses of each pair of recesses, and clamping members disposed at both sides of the track rail and engaging the edges of the tie bar over the recesses in the base plate, some of the clamping members being constructed to engage over the base flanges of the track rail and the cooperating clamping members having relative wedging movement whereby to lock the clamp upon the tie bar.

3. In a track structure, the combination of an anchoring body, a base plate embedded in said body and provided in its upper portion with pairs of recesses, one recess of each pair of recesses being elongated with its longer dimension disposed longitudinally of the base plate, a tie bar seated in said base plate and extending longitudinally of the same at the center thereof, a track rail extending across the tie bar, a clamp comprising coacting members each provided with an undercut extremity engaging around the edge of the tie bar and within a recess of the base plate, one of said members being provided with means for engaging the base iange of the track. rail and holding the same to the tie bar, the inner ends of the said coacting members being disposed obliquely with respect to the tie bar and provided with interengagng tongues and grooves, one of said members being slidable along the edge of the tie bar and in the elongated recess of the base plate whereby to effect a wedging engagement with the coacting member, and

means for locking the members against relative movement.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WILLIE BURGH. [L s.] 

